Who’s hungry?
Disneyland has been a bit of a construction zone over in Critter Country (soon to be Bayou Country as of November 15th), but we see the light at the end of the tunnel! Part of the construction included revamping the Hungry Bear Restaurant and transforming it into a Country Bear-themed dining spot. That’s right — Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree is now open!
You know we had to stop by to see what’s changed and try the new menu. So come along with us as we review it!
Background
As we mentioned above, this location used to be called Hungry Bear Restaurant. It originally opened in 1972 as Golden Bear Lodge, but the name changed to Hungry Bear in 1977.
In July 2024, the restaurant temporarily closed to revamp the menu items and add new touches and details around the beloved Country Bears.
Then, on October 24th, 2024, the restaurant soft opened ahead of its scheduled reopening on October 25th. You know what that means — it’s time for a review!
Atmosphere
The atmosphere hasn’t changed much during this transformation. The seating is still outdoors, with plenty of tables to choose from, but the biggest change is the decor!
There’s no mistaking what this restaurant is all about. The walls are lined with portraits of the iconic musicians!
Ursus H. Bear is the official “Grr-ill Master” of Hungry Bear Barbecue and you’ll find his portrait around the restaurant and on the Cast Member aprons.
We love the fact that these additions just came to Disneyland since Country Bear Jamboree was replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in the early 2000s. It’s the perfect nod to the old attraction! Seriously — it’s all in the details — check out the sign that’s visible when picking up your order!
Food & Drinks
The menu is full of classic barbecue dishes including pulled pork, burgers, and beef brisket. The sides fit right in with things like Coleslaw, Baked Beans, and Banana Pudding!
We tried a number of things, so let’s get into it. First, we ordered the Smoked BBQ Combo Platter for $21.49 to try a little bit of everything!
This comes with a selection of House-smoked Meats, Baked Beans, Coleslaw, White Bread, and Pickled Vegetables. You can pick two of the following meats: Pork Spareribs, Pulled Pork, Sausage Link, or Beef Brisket. We opted for the Pulled Pork and Sausage Link, and overall, we really enjoyed this dish!
Starting with the sauces, because who doesn’t love sauces, the Golden BBQ Sauce has a mustard hickory taste to it that we loved, the Hot Smokey BBQ Sauce is exactly what it sounds like — it hits you at the end but is super tasty, and the Classic is smokey and sweet. We think the Pulled Pork, which was juicy, flavorful, and seasoned very well, goes best with the Classic sauce, the Sausage, which had a great crunch, a smokey pepper taste to it, and was easy to eat thanks to being pre-sliced, goes best with the Hot Smokey BBQ Sauce.
The Baked Beans have a sweet, classic BBQ taste and just the right amount of kick. The Coleslaw stole the show for us with its crunch and perfect balance of tart and sweet, and the pickles on the side shocked us because they were super sweet but spicy!
Next up is the Beer Batter Fries for $4.79! These were the perfect steak fry! Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. We didn’t taste the traditional beer taste when you order something beer-battered however, but they’re still delicious!
Switching from sweet to savory, we then got our hands on the Funnel Cake Fries for $6.49. You can’t go wrong with these! They’re shareable or you can keep them for yourself — they’re served piping hot and are delicious. You can also add on the Banana Carmel Dipping Sauce, which we recommend mixing very well because the consistency is a little strange. If you don’t like bananas, this won’t be for you, but otherwise, you may want to give it a try!
Magic or Tragic?
Overall, we’d say this meal was magic! If you’re a fan of comfort food and barbecue eats, then you’ll likely really enjoy the offerings here. There are many options to make it friendly for many different palates, so we definitely think it’s worth trying. However, if you’re not a fan of this style of dining, then you may choose to skip it.
Trying out the restaurant? Be sure to leave a review!
Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree Restaurant
Services: Quick Service
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Will you try Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree on your next trip to Disneyland? Let us know in the comments.
Cool. Pecos Bill Barbeque and Columbia Fish House are my nostalgic Disney Meals growing up. I was so disappointed the first time I went to Pecos Bill and found tacos. Glad the BBQ is back.